District Code of Conduct & Dress Guidelines

Langley School District Code of Conduct

The Langley School District believes that everyone has the right to learn and work in a safe, caring, healthy and orderly environment. All members of the school community are expected to maintain an attitude that is cooperative, courteous and respectful. It is a shared responsibility to demonstrate positive conduct while attending any school or District related activity, regardless of time and location.

Respect Yourself – care about your learning and yourself

Some examples include:

make positive choices

be on time and prepared to learn and do your best

be a positive contributor to the learning environment

Respect Others – be considerate of the personal feelings, space and belongings of others

Some examples include:

be polite, honest and communicate respectfully

be responsible for your actions

be respectful of personal and cultural diversity

Respect Property – respect the school’s environment

Some examples include:

treat school equipment with care

clean up after yourself and recycle

ask before borrowing property

Be Safe – follow school rules and expectations

Some examples include:

use appropriate hallway etiquette

report dangerous situations to staff

follow protocols for positive digital citizenship

All members of the school community are expected to comply with the purpose and spirit of the British Columbia Human Rights Code (Section 7 and 8), including not engaging in discriminatory conduct on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, political beliefs, and age.

Discriminatory conduct includes publishing or displaying anything that could discriminate against another based on accommodation, service and facility, or expose them to contempt or ridicule, on the basis of the above grounds.

The Langley School District encourages positive conduct from all members of the school community. It is not acceptable to directly or indirectly engage in behaviour that is considered:

indirect involvement (bystander) in incidents of violence, bullying or harassment

retaliatory in nature

unsafe, possessing weapons or replicas and explosives (such as fireworks/firecrackers)

theft or vandalism

plagiarism or cheating

unauthorized leaving of school grounds

the dangerous use of cars, bicycles, skateboards and other equipment

possession, use, distribution of any illegal or restricted substances

illegal, including smoking on school property

misuse of technology and electronic devices

Forms of unacceptable conduct cited above are some examples and not an alI-inclusive list.

Consequences

School safety is paramount. Consequences for behaviour not meeting the Code of Conduct will be applied in a manner that respects individual differences, age appropriateness and past conduct. Whenever possible, incidents will be resolved by discussion, mediation, restorative action, restitution and if necessary, meetings with parents or guardians. Every effort to support students, staff, parents and guardians, and to determine the root causes of behaviour will be made. While the District hopes that strategies are learning experiences, there are times where the following consequences may apply:

consultation with School District Staff, RCMP, Fire Department and other community agencies

Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA)

suspension (for both students and staff)

in the case of students, expulsion

in the case of staff, termination

in the case of parents and guardians, application of Section 177 of the School Act

The consequences cited above are only examples and not an alI-inclusive list, and are not necessarily in progressive order. Decisions of District staff are eligible for appeal in accordance with District Policy No. 1205 – Bylaws of the Board – Student/Parent Appeals

The Langley School District Code of Conduct supercedes all previous District and individual school’s Codes of Conduct in whatever form and has been structured to align with and adhere to the standards outlined in:

The Langley School District wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Safer Schools Together and the Burnaby School District for their contributions to this document.

Langley School District Dress Guidelines

The intent of a dress guideline is to set expectations to assist students, staff, and parents in decision-making with respect to clothing. It is not intended to be prescriptive nor punitive, but to provide a level of clarity so that correction or discipline is not required.

Dress guidelines are intended to incorporate individual preferences for students and their families to dress in a manner that they choose. Individual choice is however tempered by a responsibility to recognize that a school is a learning and working environment, in which there is an expectation of reasonableness.

Staff members have a responsibility to assist students in understanding and abiding by the District dress guidelines. Parents have a responsibility to support appropriate dress for the school and the workplace.

Clothing should be comfortable and allow a student to participate safely in activities such as physical education, science experiments, and/or shop projects. Clothing should demonstrate a respect for the school community. Clothing should meet standards of suitability that are typical of an office workplace and should not be offensive to others.

Articles of clothing that promote alcohol or drugs, that display offensive language or images, or that encourage sexism, racism or bigotry are not acceptable in a school. Clothing bearing direct or indirect messages or graphics referring to gang culture, sex or pornography, weapons or violence will not be permitted.

When there are differences in perspective, all involved have a duty to seek common understanding in a mutually respectful manner. Ultimately, the school administration has the responsibility to apply the dress guidelines when necessary. If any person dresses in an inappropriate manner, the student should be advised personally and discretely and given an opportunity to meet the District guidelines.

A Message from the Provincial Medical Health Officer

May 07, 2018
Dear parents and guardians:
As you are likely aware, British Columbia continues to experience an unprecedented illegal drug overdose crisis. Since January 2016, more than 2,500 people in B.C. have lost their lives; including 37 youth aged 10 to …